Details About My Knife Sharpening Process

Proven quality sharpening. My signature high-quality sharpening produces precisely shaped blades, with polished, precision-beveled edges. The result is a knife with an extremely sharp blade edge and tip. One of two precision angles are normally applied to the blade edge—either 15 or 20 degrees, depending on the type or use of a knife. Custom angles can be special ordered.

My sharpening quality and durability has been proven by an optical angle-determining method and by the C.A.T.R.A. method, which is employed only by the very largest knife manufacturing companies for testing their own products. Several independent test results conducted by Buck Knives (recently relocated from California to Post Falls, Idaho) confirm that I can sharpen up to 26% better than they can on their own products. To my knowledge no other independent knife sharpener has subjected his work to these rigorous standards and/or achieved very high marks for sharpness and durability.

My proven quality sharpening has resulted in many commercial knives lasting 10 or more years. At some restaurants I have sharpened Dexter Russell brand knives more than 100 times, and serrated knives more than 30 times. They are still giving good service.

Exotic, hunting & fishing, and collector knives are my specialty. I have repaired expensive knives, restored brilliant polished surfaces, and made them like factory new. I have sharpened very expensive signed Japanese samurai steel knives.

Sharpening process. I use a unique three-step, low speed process that does not overheat the blade, which preserves the original hardness of the steel.

The first step creates precise equal angles which is the essential key to obtaining a long-lasting sharp edge. The second step refines the surface of those angles, eliminating any scratches in the metal. The final step involves hand-honing and mirror-polishing; a method similar to that used by old-time barbers using a leather strop on their straight edge razors. This step also eliminates the burr, which is excess metal that stubbornly clings to the sharpened blade edge.

During the sharpening process the cutting edge of the blade is visible at all times. It is possible to gauge precisely (to within less than 1/1000th of an inch) where along the blade and how much metal that needs to be removed. Only the imperfections, such as nicks or damage from improper sharpening, are removed. The original factory shape of the blade is re-created. I use great care to retain as much metal as possible, which lengthens the useful service of a knife. This is an extremely important consideration, especially with expensive knives.

I am the only knife sharpener in the Northwest that guarantees sharpening any serrated knife—even the foreign made inexpensive “laser-cut” blades (such as Miracle Blade knives) or those with different serrated patterns on each side of a blade. I have sharpened many hundreds of the special serrated knives produced by the Cutco knife company.